Posted by Greg Coyne
on 8/28/2009, 10:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Another Saint in Heaven - C'mon Greg"
That you deem Ted Kennedy to be merely a celebrity seems significant.
John Kennedy Jr., yes, I'd give you that, but Ted, as a mere celebrity?
Nope, not unless you want to toss in, minimum, Daniel Webster, John Calhoun, and Henry Clay too.
Teddy's Senatorial career ranks, and ranks easily, with theirs.
And Teddy's wasn't primarily about just his home state's concerns, not near to the same proportion as, say, Byrd's has been, let alone those of most others who are overly prone to whine about the excessive "earmarks", always of others than themselves.
Teddy was a Senator not of only his home state, but of the entire nation.
He was a better than good Senator before 1980, and a dedicatedly EXCELLENT Senator once that was behind him.
Now, beyond Teddy's worth, and leaving aside, for at least the moment, the matter of any changes in any laws, who would you propose should be ELECTED to his seat?
My own dream choice would be Rachel Maddow.
She's honest, smart, gutsy, wonkish as all get out, and young enough to actually have the potential to be another Teddy.
You see anyone you like better?
(If the legislature changes things, for the interim appointment, I'd like Mike Dukakis.)
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